President Trump speaks with NATO Secretary Gen. Mark Rutte during a group photo Wednesday at the NATO summit in The Hague.

President Trump offered robust support for Europe and a rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, capping a visit that came as a relief to anxious allies across the continent.

The gathering was designed by NATO leadership to appease the president, and it delivered, with nearly all members of the transatlantic alliance agreeing to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense — a historic increase that had been a priority to Trump for several years.

“We’re with them all the way,” Trump said of NATO, sitting alongside its secretary general, Mark Rutte. He later added to reporters, “if I didn’t stand with it, why would I be here?”

Rutte was obsequious throughout the visit, at one point referring to Trump as a "daddy" disciplining childlike nations at war with one another. But addressing reporters, he defended his praise of the president as well-earned.

“When it comes to making more investments, I mean, would you ever think this would be the result of this summit, if he would not have been reelected president?" Rutte said. "Do you really think that seven or eight countries who said, ‘Somewhere in the 2030s, we might make the 2%,’ would have all decided in the last four or five months to get to 2%? So doesn’t he deserve some praise?”

At the summit, the president faced repeated questioning over the success of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, which were designed to supplement an Israeli campaign to effectively end Iran’s uranium enrichment program. But Trump expressed confidence in the mission, stating that intelligence continues to come in supporting the conclusion that its facilities were “obliterated.”

“It’s been obliterated, totally obliterated,” he said. “We've collected additional intelligence. We've also spoken to people that have seen the site, and the site is obliterated.”

An initial Defense Intelligence Agency report, first reported by CNN, cast doubt on that conclusion. But an Israeli official told The Times that preliminary findings from an on-the-ground assessment gives Israel confidence that the program has been set back by several years.

“You can see that the intelligence was very high quality in the execution of this operation — that gives us confidence in the information we have on the different facilities,” the official said.

At a news conference, Trump seemed to commit to enforce Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization charter, a key provision stating an attack on one member is an attack on all. In the past, Trump has cast doubt on his commitment to the pledge.

“As far as Article 5, look — when I came here, I came here because it was something I'm supposed to be doing,” Trump said. “I watched the heads of these countries get up, and the love and the passion that they showed for their country was unbelievable. I've never seen quite anything like it. They want to protect their country, and they need the United States, and without the United States, it's not going to be the same.”

The visual was moving, the president said.

“I left here saying that these people really love their countries,” he added. “It's not a rip-off. And we're here to help them protect their countries.”

Trump also gave himself praise for helping to broker ceasefires around the world — most recently between Israel and Iran, but also between Pakistan and India, as well as Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — while expressing frustration with Russia’s president for what he described as “misguided” views that have perpetuated Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

He described a bilateral meeting with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as “very nice” — “he couldn’t have been nicer,” Trump said — while offering choice words for Putin, an uncharacteristic position for a president who has repeatedly referred to the Russian leader as a potential friend and partner.

“Vladimir Putin has been more difficult,” Trump said, telling one Ukrainian reporter that he is looking to provide Kyiv with Patriot missile defense batteries — long a request of the Ukrainian government.

Trump also said he was open to sending additional defense funds to Kyiv if Putin fails to make progress toward a ceasefire. “As far as money going, we’ll see what happens — there’s a lot of spirit,” he said.

“Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war,” he added.

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NATO allies agree to boost defense spending to 5% at The Hague summit

NATO heads of of state and government pose for a photo at the alliance's summit in The Hague, Netherlands.

PARIS — NATO allies agreed to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said after a vote of the 32 member countries on Wednesday at a summit in The Hague.

As part of the agreement, allies committed to investing at least 3.5% of GDP on “core defense requirements,” up from the current target of 2%, Rutte said at a press conference following two days of meetings. The NATO secretary-general credited United States President Donald Trump for the result, saying the spending increase wouldn’t have happened without him.

Trump has repeatedly criticized European NATO members and Canada for not spending enough on defense, suggesting the U.S. might not honor the alliance’s mutual-defense commitments for allies that don’t step up. As recently as two years ago, most NATO countries had failed to meet a 2% spending target agreed at a summit in Wales in 2014.

“All allies are united in the understanding that we need to step up to stay safe,” Rutte said. “European allies and Canada will do more of the heavy lifting, equalizing their spending and taking greater responsibility for our shared security.”

Rutte said Trump has been clear that the United States is commited to NATO and “affirmed it again today in no uncertain terms,” while at the same time making clear that the country expects Europe and Canada to contribute more. He said NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defense clause “is absolutely clear,” but the alliance doesn’t provide details on what will trigger it to avoid helping adversaries.

In a press conference before heading back to Washington, Trump struck a conciliatory tone as he sought to harvest praise for the spending boost.

“I came here thinking it’s something I’m supposed to be doing,” he said. The summit proceedings had changed his mind, as he absorbed individual messages of patriotism from alliance member representatives, Trump said.

“It’s not a rip-off,” he told reporters, reversing his long-held grievance, at least for the moment, that Europeans were taking advantage of the United States. “We’ll help them protect their country.”

The U.S. has been asking for allies to lift defense spending since the 1950s, and the agreement reached in The Hague will make the alliance more stable, according to Rutte. He said there is a need to bolster NATO in the face of a threatening Russia, as well as an “impressive military buildup” by China.

Rutte said Russia is a short-term and long-term menace to the alliance, with intelligence suggesting the country could be ready to attack NATO in the next three to seven years. “The Russia threat is there, and we need to make sure to be able to defend ourselves.”

With Trump having demanded NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defense, the agreement in The Hague is a bit of a workaround, with 3.5% for core defense tasks and an additional 1.5% on measures that support defense and security, for example investment in infrastructure and cyber defense.

“These decisions will have a profound impact on our ability to do what NATO was founded to do, deter and defend,” Rutte said.

U.S. spending on core defense is around the required level already, and its spending on infrastructure, cyber and hybrid threats and developing the defense-industrial base puts the country “more or less” at 5%, according to Rutte. The NATO leader said Trump “was totally right” that Europe and Canada were not providing to the alliance what they should.

Trump said in a press conference with Rutte before the vote that the agreement to increase spending was “a great victory for everybody, I think, and we will be equalized very shortly, and that’s the way it has to be. And it’s going to be a lot of money too, a lot of defense.”

Rutte said more spending will fund air defenses, ammunition, drones, tanks and troops. He said NATO needs to expand defense industrial capacity on both sides of the Atlantic, which could potentially create millions of new jobs across the alliance.

“We need quality and quantity,” the secretary-general said. “We need to innovate and we need to act fast.”

Some countries including Spain and Belgium have questioned the 3.5% target, and Rutte said Spain estimates it can reach its NATO capability targets while spending 2.1% of GDP on defense. The secretary-general said allies will report on how they will reach the capability targets, and NATO will “anyway have a review of all of this” in 2029.

Spain has consistently been at or near the bottom of military spending in NATO, last year ranking last with an estimated 1.3% of GDP spent on defense.

In his post-summit press conference, Trump blasted Spain for seeking an exception to the 5% spending goal. He suggested trying to recoup the notional funding difference by skewing U.S. trade with Madrid in Washington’s favor.

NATO allies have pledged more than €35 billion euros ($41 billion) for Ukraine so far this year to help the country fend of Russia’s invasion, according to Rutte, who said he expects total aid in 2025 to surpass last year’s pledged support of more than €50 billion.

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NATO chief praises Trump for making Europe 'pay in a BIG way' on defense

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised President Donald Trump for making Europe “pay in a BIG way,” as leaders gathered in the Netherlands on Tuesday for a historic summit that could unite them around a new defense spending pledge or widen divisions among the 32 member countries of the security alliance.

The U.S. president, while en route, published a screenshot of a private message from Rutte saying: “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”

“Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win,” Rutte wrote. NATO confirmed that he sent the message.

Rutte appeared unconcerned that Trump aired it, telling reporters: “I have absolutely no trouble or problem with that because there’s nothing in it which had to stay secret."

Trump arrived early in the evening after injecting uncertainty over whether the U.S. would abide by the mutual defense guarantees outlined in the NATO treaty. “Depends on your definition,” he said. Rutte said he has no doubt about the Article 5 guarantee, which says an armed attack on one member is an attack on all.

On Wednesday, the allies are likely to endorse a goal of spending 5% of their gross domestic product on their security, to be able to fulfil the alliance’s plans for defending against outside attack. Trump has said the U.S. should not have to.

Spain has said it cannot, and that the target is “unreasonable.” Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide how to reach the target by NATO's new 2035 deadline.

“There’s a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly,” Trump told reporters.

In 2018, a NATO summit during Trump's first term unraveled due to a dispute over defense spending.

Ahead of the meeting, Britain, France and Germany committed to the 5% goal. The Netherlands is also on board. Nations closer to the borders of Ukraine, Russia and its ally Belarus had previously pledged to do so.

Trump’s first appearance at NATO since returning to the White House was supposed to center on how the U.S. secured the historic military spending pledge from others in the alliance — effectively bending it to its will.

But the spotlight has shifted to Trump’s decision to strike three nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran that the administration says eroded Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, as well as the president’s sudden announcement that Israel and Iran had reached a “complete and total ceasefire.”

Ukraine has also suffered as a result of that new conflict. It has created a need for weapons and ammunition that Kyiv desperately wants, and shifted the world's attention. Past NATO summits have focused almost entirely on the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.

Still, Rutte insisted NATO could manage more than one conflict at a time.

“If we would not be able to deal with ... the Middle East, which is very big and commanding all the headlines, and Ukraine at the same time, we should not be in the business of politics and military at all," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in The Hague for meetings, despite his absence from a leaders’ meeting aiming to seal the military spending agreement.

It’s a big change since the summit in Washington last year, when the alliance’s weighty communique included a vow to supply long-term security assistance to Ukraine, and a commitment to back the country “on its irreversible path” to NATO membership.

Zelenskyy’s first official engagement this time was with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof at his official residence across the road from the summit venue.

But in a telling sign of Ukraine’s status at the summit, neither leader mentioned NATO. Ukraine’s bid to join the alliance has been put in deep freeze by Trump.

“Let me be very clear, Ukraine is part of the family that we call the Euro-Atlantic family,” Schoof told Zelenskyy, who in turn said he sees his country’s future in peace “and of course, a part of a big family of EU family.”

Schoof used the meeting to announce a new package of Dutch support to Kyiv including 100 radar systems to detect drones and a move to produce drones for Ukraine in the Netherlands, using Kyiv’s specifications.

The U.S. has made no new public pledges of support to Ukraine since Trump took office six months ago.

Meeting later with Rutte and top EU officials, Zelenskyy appealed for European investment in Ukraine's defense industry, which can produce weapons and ammunition more quickly and cheaply than elsewhere in Europe.

“No doubt, we must stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin now and in Ukraine. But we have to understand that his objectives reach beyond Ukraine," he said. He said NATO's new target of 5% of GDP "is the right level.”

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Trump meets with Zelenskyy and says higher NATO defense spending may deter future Russian aggression

President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit Wednesday and suggested that increased spending by the trans-Atlantic alliance could help prevent future Russian aggression against its neighbors.

NATO members agreed to raise their spending targets by 2035 to 5% of gross domestic product annually on core defense requirements as well as defense-and security-related spending. That target had been 2% of GDP.

“Europe stepping up to take more responsibility for security will help prevent future disasters like the horrible situation with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said at the summit-ending news conference shortly after seeing Zelenskyy. “And hopefully we’re going to get that solved.”

Trump also reiterated his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine that began with Moscow's invasion in February 2022.

“He’d like to get out of this thing. It’s a mess for him,” Trump said. “He called the other day, and he said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, you can help me with Russia.’”

Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy was their first face-to-face session since April, when they met at St. Peter’s Basilica during Pope Francis’ funeral. Trump also had a major confrontation with Zelenskyy earlier this year at the White House.

Zelenskyy, on social media, said he discussed with Trump the possibility of Kyiv producing drones with American companies and buying U.S. air defense systems. “We can strengthen each other,” he wrote.

He said he also talked to Trump about “what is really happening on the ground.”

“Putin is definitely not winning,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump left open the possibility of sending Kyiv more U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile systems.

Asked by a Ukrainian reporter, who said that her husband was a Ukrainian soldier, Trump acknowledged that sending more Patriots would help the Ukrainian cause.

“They do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots,” Trump said. “And we’re going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We’re supplying them to Israel, and they’re very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing.”

Over the course of the war, the U.S. has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defense systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia.

Trump laid into the U.S. media throughout his news conference but showed unusual warmth toward the Ukrainian reporter.

“That’s a very good question,” Trump said about the query about Patriots. “And I wish you a lot of luck. I mean, I can see it’s very upsetting to you. So say hello to your husband.”

Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, has been front and center at recent alliance summits. But as the group's latest annual meeting of leaders opened in the Netherlands, Zelenskyy was not in the room. The Trump administration has blocked Ukraine’s bid to join NATO.

The conflict with Russia has laid waste to Ukrainian towns and killed thousands of civilians. Just last week, Russia launched one of the biggest drone attacks of the war.

During Trump's 2024 campaign for the White House, the Republican pledged a quick end to the war. He saw it as a costly boondoggle that, he claimed, would not have happened had he won reelection in 2020. Since taking office in January, he has struggled to find a resolution to the conflict and has shown frustration with both Putin and Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy spent Tuesday in The Hague shuttling from meeting to meeting. He got a pledge from summit host the Netherlands for military aid, including new drones and radars to help knock out Russian drones. The White House did not allow press coverage of Zelenskyy's nearly hourlong meeting with Trump.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom will provide 350 air defense missiles to Ukraine, funded by 70 million pounds ($95 million) raised from the interest on seized Russian assets.

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Zelenskyy is ‘fighting a brave battle,’ Trump says

President Donald Trump said that he had a “very nice” meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit.

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Trump to speak at NATO Summit amid warming relations with alliance's leaders

President Donald Trump is set to take the main stage on the second day of the NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands — offering a surprisingly cordial tone toward the alliance he has long criticized.

The president is scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other world leaders before holding a press conference.

Trump also said he will "probably" greet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is attending the summit amid his ongoing push for Ukraine to join NATO.

In text messages shared by Trump, Rutte congratulated him for "making Europe pay in a big way" through a new 5% defense spending target — and for brokering an end to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran.

"Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action on Iran. That was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do," Rutte wrote as Trump flew toward the summit. "It makes us all safer."

Israel and Iran entered into a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Tuesday that almost fell apart — though Israel called off its counterattack at Trump's urging.

"You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening," Rutte added, referencing the new agreement for NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.

NATO allies first agreed in 2006 to spend 2% of GDP on defense — a goal many failed to meet for years. Now, after Trump’s repeated calls for Europe to "pull its weight," the alliance has approved a more ambitious 5% target, with an exception for Spain, which has long struggled to meet even the original benchmark.

The new figure breaks down into 3.5% for core defense spending, and 1.5% for related infrastructure, including cyberwarfare and intelligence. NATO ambassadors agreed on the compromise text Sunday.

For most allies, the target marks a significant leap. Poland currently leads all member states with 4.1% of GDP going toward defense. The U.S. stands at 3.4%.

Trump said he doesn’t believe the U.S. needs to reach the full 5% threshold — a position backed by Rutte.

"The United States is already spending almost 3.5% on core defense, and no doubt they are close to spending the 1.5% on defense-related items," Rutte said. "Countries like Estonia and Poland are very close. For many others, it will still be a long road ahead, but it’s really important that we do this."

He also called on defense industries "on both sides of the Atlantic" to ramp up production.

"It is simply unthinkable that Russia, with an economy 25 times smaller than NATO’s, should be able to outproduce and outgun us," Rutte said Tuesday. He urged Europe: "Make your defenses so strong that no one dares to attack you."

Despite the progress, Trump cast fresh doubt on whether the U.S. would abide by NATO’s cornerstone mutual defense clause — Article 5 — which obligates members to defend one another in the event of an attack.

"It depends on your definition," Trump said when asked if he would honor the commitment. "There’s numerous definitions of Article 5, you know that, right? But I'm committed to being their friends. I've become friends with many of those leaders, and I'm committed to helping them."

Still, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker sought to reassure allies, telling reporters, "The United States isn’t going anywhere."

Rutte echoed that message, telling partners to "stop worrying so much" and focus on strengthening their own defenses.